My Morning Routine

I don’t know about you, but I find people’s routines fascinating. I think it gives me a real-life glimpse into their lives and paints a picture of how they live their life. I’ve started doing vlog posts on Instagram, but I also wanted permanent spot for my morning routine on the blog. This routine is (more or less) one I’ve had for the last 8 years since Cullen was born. I am waking up about an hour earlier now because I have to be back earlier for Craig to take Cullen to school and to go to work, but other than that, the sequence has been the same over the years.

Of course every day is a little different and some days I start work earlier or I don’t get a shower until the end of the day, but this is my general routine for most of my days. I hope you enjoy, and if you want to see a video version of this, watch the reel I made on Instagram.

5:00 a.m.
I have been getting up between 5:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. depending upon what time I went to bed and when I have to start my run.

As soon as my alarm goes off, I get out of bed. The longer I lay in bed, the harder it is to get out of bed. Seriously, the hardest part about waking up is getting out of bed, after that, I’m committed. (Actually the hardest part is going to bed early enough!)

5:01 a.m.
I go into the bathroom where I laid out my clothes the night before, put them on, and get ready for my run. I put my hair in a ponytail, put my contacts in, and put a couple accessories on: silicone ring, earrings (I don’t sleep with any jewelry on.), and my GPS watch.

5:20 a.m.
I head into the kitchen to eat my pre-run snack. It varies between graham crackers, Nature’s Bakery fig bars, toast with peanut butter and honey, or some other carb-based snack. I also make myself some coffee and eat while unloading the dishwasher and putting clean dishes away. I am probably crazy for doing this, but I figure I’m just standing around anyway, so why not. Luckily the kitchen is on the other side of the house–away from the bedrooms–so the boys don’t hear me.

5:40 a.m.
I always hope to go to the bathroom before I leave so I don’t have to do that while out running. (We’re being real here, people.) I also brush my teeth because I can’t run with a dirty mouth. Ha! I used to give myself 30 minutes to get out the door, but lately I have been giving myself 45 – 60 minutes, and it is so nice to not be rushed, use the bathroom at home, and do a few extra things like unloading the dishwasher and foam rolling before heading out the door.

5:50 a.m.
Foam roll while checking Instagram messages on my phone, and then let Craig know I’m leaving.

6:00 a.m.
Head out the door for my run. Sometimes I meet a friend around 5:45 a.m., so I’m out a bit earlier. And then on the days I have about an hour run, I will head out closer to 6:30 a.m.–and wake up a bit later to try and get some extra sleep.

I usually run solo, but once or twice a week I’ll meet a friend. Luckily the quiet mornings are my jam, but I also like the company, so it is the best of both worlds. I’ll run anything from about 6 – 10 miles most mornings with a long run on the weekend and a mid-week harder workout. I’ll take a rest day about every 10 days but lately it has been more like every 14 days because I have been feeling so good, and it is summer running which trumps all other seasons of running!

7:30 a.m.
I try to be back by 7:30 a.m. in order for Craig to take Cullen to school during the school year. And now during the summer, I still try to be back around this time, so Craig can get to work. I will often make some Instagram stories during this time.

7:45 a.m.
I get something to eat and make sure to get some carbs and protein within 30 minutes of finishing my run. What I have varies from day to day, but some common post-run breakfasts include: smoothie, protein drink, bagel with avocado, breakfast burrito, English muffin with peanut butter, and it is often at least a couple of items from this list. I also clean up the kitchen, vacuum the crumbs off the floors from the boys eating breakfast, and sometimes start a load of laundry.

8:30 a.m.
I pick up the house, make beds, and tidy things up. This is usually interrupted by Bjorn needing something, wanting me to play with him, or me responding to texts or messages from the athletes I coach.

9:15 a.m.
Take a shower and get ready for the day.

I like to have everything tidied up before I get ready, but sometimes I will take a shower and then finishing cleaning up. (It just depends upon how cold I am after my run.)

top | shorts | sandals

10:00 a.m.
Usually around this time is when I can sit down at my desk and get a little bit of work done. Bjorn will play by himself while I work, but the increments are very small, so it is a lot of stopping and restarting work for me throughout the day.

I hope you liked this look at my morning. Be sure to follow along on Instagram to see more daily life happenings in stories or the video version of my morning routine.